Reciprocable double buck laundry press



Nov. 18, 1947. L. M. KAHN RECIPROCABLE DOUBLE BUCK LAUNDRY PRESS Original Filed May 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PHIIHHIIHIIEQ t 8 i INVENTOR. BY 7 /M AT ORNEY5 Nov. 18, 1947. L. M. KAHN I RECIPROCABLE D OUBLE BUCK LAUNDRY PRESS 'original Filed May 11, 1959 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR.

Q w? x m FUN Patented Nov. 18, 1947 C BROGABLE DOUBLE BUCK L UNDRY PRESS Leo M. Kahn, Island Park, N. Y.

Original application May 11, 1939, Serial No. 272,972, new Patent No. 383,723, dated August .28, 19,45. Divided and this application July 19, 19-45 SerialNo. 605,898

4 Claims. 1

invention relates -to presses and more specifically to laundry presses.

in general, it is an object of :the invention to provide a device of the character described which :will efliciently perform the purposes for which it is intended, which is simple and economical of construction, which can be expeditiously, conveniently and safely manipulated, and which can be readily manufactured and assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a press which occupies a minimum of space and which does not have an excessive number of parts, and which also is so constructed that the operator may put the work onto the press at a convenient loading position and preferably at the same or substantially the same loading position for a plurality of bucks; and to provide such a press in which one head and buck may be put through a cycleoi any number of operations independently without any other head and =buck being operated or while another head and buck stand in pressing engagement; and to provide such a press in which the total pressing force exerted is automatically changed in proportion to the number "of bucks and heads which are in pressing engagement.

Other obiects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in :part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of :parts which will be exemplified in :the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which'will be indicated in the claims.

This application .is a division of my copending application S ial No. 272,972, filed May .11, 1939, whichissued into Patent No. 23,83,723, dated .August 28, 1.945.

Fora fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should :be had to the following detailed description, take in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an :end'v-iew of a machine embodyin one form of the invention;

Figure ,2 is a front view of the machine shown in Figure .1; and,

Figures 3 and 4 are diagrammatic representations indicating the operation of the device shown in Figures ,1 and 2.

The present invention contemplates a spacesaving machine and a time-saving machine and one wherein each buck has its loading position positioned conveniently with respect to the hands .of the operator. For each buck there is .a head may be pressing while another =buck and head go through one or more entire cycles of loading and pressing. in this way. all parts of the machine are constantly in use and thereby pressin of various kinds can be carried on without parts of the machine standing id-1e. The machine may also berun so that the different bucks are alternately loaded and pressed or they may be both in loading or both in pressing position. In Figures 1-4, the heads are somewhat spaced from each other, although substantially vertically aligned, and therefore oneof the bucksmust move down from the work-receiving position to its head. There are practical disadvantages, e. 'g., loss of speed, etc, to lower that puck first and then carry it back to its head. In the machine shown in these figures, the book is carried along a slanting path downward and backward, and before reaching the end of that path it would collide with its head, which is to overlie that buck when the latter reaches its pressing position. Means are provided for avoiding this. Such means operate to remove that head from the path of its descending buck in timed relation automatically. Similarly, the head is removed from the path of its buck just before the latter starts on its slanting upward path to the work-receiving position.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, 10 denotes a pair of spaced, vertical frames extending between and supported by which is a pair of :bucks H and I2 and a pair of respectivepressing heads i i and I6. The material to be pressed is laid on .one of the bucks while it is forwardly positioned work-receiving position. It is then moved back into contact with its head and the material pressed between it and the head.

A shaft L8 extends :between andis directly supported bythe frame '10. Ateachendof the shaft there is a bell crank '20 having a lower arm 22 and an upper arm 24. Buck H has horizontal trunnions 26 at the ends thereof and these are pivotally carried by a link '28 which is also pivot- :a lly connected to arm 24. A guide block 30 is ceiving position.

:Sinn'larly, trunnions 34 at the .ends of the lower buck 11.2 .are pivoted rat the ends .of respective links .36, the other .ends of which are .pivotally attached to the lower arms 22. Guide blocks :38 on the trunnions :314 are .slidable along a linear 'withzwhich that book works. One buck and head 55 path which leads downward and backward from the work-receiving position and which is defined by the guides 40 attached to the frame II). The guides 32 and 40 are at an angle with each other so as to give intersecting paths for the guide blocks and bucks. The paths may intersect beyond the points where the blocks stop, at the point where the blocksstop, or the blocks may move across and beyond the point of intersection.

Means are provided to rotate the bell crank 26. These may take the form of a crank 42 pivotally attached to the arm 22 and to piston 44 which is slidable in cylinder 46 into which motivating fluid may be introduced, as described below.

There are means for moving head I6 out of the way of buck I2 as the latter is moved downward from the work-receiving position. As shown, the head I6 may be attached to arm 48 of bell crank 56 which is pivoted on frame I0. A spring 52 attached to the frame I and arm 54 of the bell crank 56 tends to holdbell crank 50 so that head I6 is out of the path of buck I2. There are other means for fitting head I6 over buck I2 and for pressing it against that buck after the latter has been brought down from work-receiving position. These may comprise a crank 56 pivotally attached at one end to an arm 58 of the bell crank 56 and attached at its other end to a piston 66 in cylinder 62, The arm 58 is so positioned with respect to arm 54 and spring 52 that when fluid pressure is introduced into cylinder 62, the crank 56 forces bell crank 50 to rotate, bringing the head I6 down into pressing engagement with buck I2 when the latter is in its lower backward position.

Figures 3 and 4 show diagrammatically the fluid-operated means and controls therefor for motivating the various parts described above. A main fluid pressure line 64 is connected to a control valve 66 which has a central element 68 rotatable in a valve casing I0. A passageway I2 in element 68 may be positioned to connect line 64 to conduit I4, which leads to cylinder 46 and also to a similar device I6 which, when fluid pressure is introduced into it, causes piston I8 to push head I4 down upon buck II against the action of springs 80 which normally keep head I4 spaced from buck I I. The pressure in cylinder 46 causes crank 42 to move out of the cylinder, forcing arm 22 upward until buck I2 is in work-receiving position. Just as arm 22 and arm 24 reach the highest point of their travel, arm 22 contacts valve means 82 in the fluid pressure line leading to cylinder I6. By this means, head I4 is not pushed down until buck II is in position to receive it. Beyond the valve 62, in the branch of line I4 which goes to the cylinder I6, there is an ofishoot leading to a cylinder 84 from which a piston rod 86 extends as a tongue. That tongue is normally held retracted by spring 88 but, when the pressure is allowed to pass valve 82, it enters cylinder 84, forcing tongue 86 against a lower side of guide block 36 and prevents the buck II from being pushed out of position by the head I4, as the latter presses against buck I I,

While the pressure has been causing the parts to move as described, a channel 90 in valve element 68 is connected to valve vent 92 with pressure conduit 94 which leads to cylinder 62 through a pressure control device 96. With no pressure in cylinder 62, spring 52 causes bell crank 50 to rotate so as to lift head I6 out of the path of buck I2 so that the latter may move upward due to the force on arm 22. As will be seen later, the motion of head I6 out of the path of buck I2 4 takes place before the latter begins its upward and forward motion.

When it is desired that the upper buck II shall be brought to work-receiving position and the lower buck I2 be carried back down to pressing position, valve element 68 is rotated counterclockwise, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, by any suitable means such as handle 98. Valve element 68 first reaches a position such that passageway 72 no longer connects the main pressure line 64 and line 14, but does connect vent 92 and lin 14. This causes loss of pressure in cylinders I6, 84 and 46 whereby, respectively, head I4 is raised from buck II by springs 80, tongue 86 is withdrawn from the path of guide blocks 30 by spring 88 and the upward pressure on arm 22 is no longer exerted by crank 42, In this fashion, the main bell crank is left free to rotate clockwise, under the action of gravity, from the position shown in Figure 1. The rotation of the bell crank 26 is prevented from being too rapid by having a pressure control device I64 in the portion of line 14 which leads to cylinder 46. In this way, cylinder 46 acts as a dash-pot.

A further motion of valve element 68 brings passageway into a position to connect the main pressure line 64 and line 94 leading to cylinder 62. However, since head I6 cannot press onto buck I2 until the latter is in its completely retracted position, the pressure control device or shut-ofi" valve 96 is provided in line 94. Valve 96 is opened by arm 22 when the latter reaches its lowermost position. Buck I2 is then in retracted position. The pressure passes through valve 96 into cylinder 62, moving crank 56 outward and thereby rotating bell crank 50 so as to bring head I6 down against buck I2 with as much force as is desired.

To bring the machine back into the position shown in Figure 3, the valve 66 is turned back from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 3. This causes the loss of pressure from cylinder 62, the latter being connected to vent 92. Spring 52 then acts to raise head I6 and pressure is admitted to cylinder 46 whereby the entire process for the turning of the main, bell crank 26 is begun again. The pressure control element I64 in line I4 delays the setting up of pressure in cylinder 46 and, hence, the raising of arm 22 by a length of time sufficient to permit spring 52 to raise head I6 out of the path of arm 22.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

7 I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination comprising a buck and a head, a second buck and a second head, means for moving one of said bucks along a path between its head and a Work-receiving position, means for automatically moving in a reverse direction the other of said bucks in a path between its head and the same work-receivin position, said paths being at an angle with each other, one of said heads being lower than the other of said heads and being directly in the same path of its respective buck, and means for removing said one head from said path of its respective buck.

2. In a deviceof the character described, the combination comprising a buck and a head, a

second buck and a second head, means for moving one Of said bucks along a path'between its head and a work-receiving position, means for automatically moving in a reverse direction the other of said bucks in a path between its head 5 and the same work-receiving position, said paths being at an angle with each other, one of said heads being lower than the other of said heads and being directly in the same path of its respective buck, and means for automatically removing said one head from said path of its respective buck whenever its respective buck is about to move into or out of its pressing position.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination comprising a buck and a head, a 1 second buck and a second head, means for moving one of said bucks along a path between its head and a work-receiving position, means for automatically moving in a reverse direction the other of said bucks in a path between its head and, the same Work-receiving position, said paths being at an angle with each other, and a bell crank, one of said bucks being on one arm of said bell crank and the other of said bucks being on the other arm of said bell crank.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination comprising two heads, a bell crank, a buck associated with an arm of said bell crank, a second buck associated with a second arm of said bell crank, said arms lying in the same vertical plane, and means for moving said bell crank from a position in which one of said bucks is adjacent one of said heads and the other of said bucks is in work-receiving position to a position in which said one of said bucks is in workreceiving position and said other of said bucks is adjacent the other of said heads.

LEO M. KAHN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS I Number Name Date 1,218,609 Benjamin Mar. 6, 1917 1,362,735 Pierce Dec. 21, 1920 1,894,435 Zimarik Jan. 17, 1933 25 2,207,096 Kahn et al July 9, 1940 

